New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index dropped 0.7% to close at 12,862 on Wednesday, extending losses from the previous session, dragged down by weakness in healthcare stocks. Heavyweight Ebos Group shed 13.9% after the pharmaceutical distributor reported a sharp fall in net profit. Aged-care providers Ryman and Summerset Group also lost 3.2% and 1.6% respectively. Among other large-cap stocks, Meridian Energy (-0.6%), Infratil (-1.5%), and Contact Energy (-1.0%) all finished lower. On the global front, sentiment remained cautious as investors weighed ongoing political pressure on the US Federal Reserve and looked ahead to a highly anticipated earnings report from AI giant Nvidia.